Vegetarian Wintermelon and Longan Soup

Soup Name: Vegetarian Wintermelon and Longan Soup

Traditional Chinese Name: 冬瓜龍眼素湯 (dōng guā lóngyǎn sù tāng)

Introduction:

A very light and delicious soup appropriate for hot, stuffy summers.  It is refreshing (even though it’s hot) and slightly sweet with all the goodness of natural flavoring and ingredients.   It is a meatless soup and a quick boil, so it’s super easy to make.  Plus, it’s a great base for adding other ingredients such as corn, carrots, onions and I serve it with udon or noodles to make it a meal!

What ingredients are required?

3 fresh carrots, cut into large pieces
2 fresh corn, cut into large pieces
1 large slice of wintermelon, peeled and cut into large pieces
20 pieces of dried longan
2 L of water

How do I prepare it?

  1. Soak dried longan in warm water for 10 minutes (or until soft)
  2. Start boiling your soup water
  3. Wash and prepare wintermelon, carrots, and corn (keep the wintermelon skin)
  4. When soup water boils, add all the ingredients together
  5. Boil on high for 30 minutes
  6. Serve and enjoy!  Salt if necessary.

Any benefits?

  • Oil free soup
  • Excellent source of protein and vitamins
  • Easy to make soup
  • Soup is ideal for hot summers and mildly cooling to relieve heatiness in the body
  • Wintermelon helps detoxify the skin and body and regulates sugar levels

Any precautions?

  • Wintermelon is a mildly cooling ingredient and should be cautiously consumed if in your first trimester of pregnancy or if you’re menstruating as cooling foods intensify cramping
  • If someone is experiencing diarrhea or loose stool, they should avoid consuming the wintermelon seeds

Chicken and Dried Longan Soup

Soup Name: Chicken and Dried Longan Soup
Traditional Chinese Name: 雞湯 (jitāng)
Introduction:
This recipe results in a sweet, clear soup that is delicious and great to drink during the winter (cooler) season due to the heatiness of the longan.

What Ingredients are required?

1 whole fresh chicken
20 pieces of dried longan
1 tablespoon of  apricot kernals
1 tablespoon of dried wolfberries
20 grams of dried yuzhu

1.5 – 2 L of cold water

How do I prepare it?

  1. Soak the dried longan in warm water until soft
  2. Prepare the chicken (see chicken for preparation steps)
  3. Start boiling your water soup
  4. In a separate pot, blanch the  chicken and strain it removing any dirt and debris from the blanching
  5. Add the chicken to the boiling water of your soup
  6. Add the apricot kernals, wolfberries, yuzhu and pre-soaked dried longan
  7. Boil for at least 45 – 60 minutes until the chicken is cooked (tender and falling off the bone is best) and the soup has turned a wonderful brownish color

Any benefits?

  • It is a great soup to regain heatiness in the body and warm your blood during the cold winter months

Any precautions?

  • None, unless you are concerned about heatiness.  Otherwise, enjoy!